Our SEO Process

SEO is important for local businesses because it helps them increase their visibility in local search results, which can lead to more website traffic, phone calls, and ultimately more customers. When people search for businesses or services in their local area, they are more likely to visit or contact a business that appears at the top of the search results. If you are not in the “Local Map Pack” or the top 3 on google maps, you are effectively invisible to potential customers. And odds are, you are not in the Local Map Pack. By optimizing their website and online presence for local search, local businesses can increase their chances of appearing in these top results. Additionally, SEO can also help local businesses establish trust and credibility with their customers by appearing in local directories, getting positive reviews and building backlinks. As a result, this can lead to a higher return on investment as compared to traditional marketing methods, as it helps to target and attract the right audience to your business.

Benefitting from SEO requires extensive research, technical implementation and a proven process. Here is a look into how we generally approach SEO for our clients:

Google's Local Map Pack diagram showing local pack and finder

General Outline of SEO Process

  1. Research target audience
  2. Research competitors
  3. Identify target location(s)
  4. Optimize GBP
  5. Extensive keyword research and strategy
  6. Optimize website’s sitemap structure
  7. Onboard client to Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, UTM (if necessary)
  8. Optimize website for SEO (speed, mobile, crawlability) 
  9. Schema markup
  10. Online directory listings
  11. Build backlinks
  12. Build out on-going content strategy
  13. Track progress and competitors to inform on-going strategy
  14. Personalized reports to clients demonstrating results, insights, and on-going strategy

Now, there is a lot more to this outline, but that is a general framework.

    • Researching Target Audience
    • How do your customers use search to make decisions and find information?
    • How large is your TAM (total addressable market)?
    Research competitors
    • Who are your main competitors?
    • Who are you competing against for market share?
    • Where are they weak and where are they strong?
    • Do they use PPC?
    • Do they have a content strategy?
    • What keywords are they ranking for?
    Identify target location(s)
    • Are you looking to expand into a new market or area?
    • Would you like to get more customers from an existing area?
    Optimize GBP
    • Is your business listed correctly?
    • Could you stand to benefit from listing as a “Heating Contractor” or “Cooling Contractor” vs. “HVAC Contractor”?
    • Are the images geo-tagged?
    • Do you have 10+ unique pictures?
    • Are your services listed and accurate?
    • Do you have individual landing pages for each service or location?
    Extensive keyword research and strategy
    • Are you incorporating the right keywords?
    • Are these keywords too competitive for you to target at your current stage?
    • Do you have a plan to capture less competitive keywords and niche up from there?
    Optimize website’s sitemap structure
    • Is the sitemap clear, organized, and logical?
    • Does it include the proper elements?
    • Are there landing pages where appropriate?
    • Is the sitemap submitted via XML?
    • Is it submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools?
    Onboard client to Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, UTM (if necessary)
    • Are you set up with the following tools?
    • Are you properly analyzing, digesting, and creating an actionable and strategic plan given the findings?
    Optimize website for SEO (speed, mobile, crawlability, etc.)
    • Have you run speed tests on your website?
    • Is the website fast on both desktop and mobile?
    • Are all pages crawlable with no broken links?
    • Are there meta tags, descriptions, and localized content on all pages?
    Schema markup
    • Have you implemented schema on your website?
    • Did you choose the right type of schema for your business and website?
    Online directory listings
    • What is your current number of listings?
    • Have you ensured consistency in your business’s Name, Address, Hours, and Phone across all listings?
    • Are you actively seeking and responding to customer reviews on these listings?
    Build backlinks
    • What are the sources of your backlinks?
    • Are they local, authoritative and relevant to your industry?
    • Are they all “follow” links or are there any “nofollow” links?
    • Do they enhance your business’s visibility in local search results?
    Build out on-going content strategy
    • What is your plan for local SEO?
    • Is it based on your budget and expected ROI?
    • Is it a long-term strategy or a short-term one?
    • Does it promote sustainable growth?
    Track progress and competitors to inform on-going strategy
    • Are you using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, BrightLocal, and Ahrefs to track your progress and analyze your competitors?
    • What data are you gathering and how are you using it to make informed decisions?
    • Are you just monitoring the progress or are you taking actions based on the insights obtained from these tools?
    Personalized reports to clients demonstrating results, insights, and on-going strategy
    • Are your SEO reports transparent and actionable?
    • What specific KPIs are being tracked and reported on?
    • Are there clear, tangible results of your SEO efforts?
    • Is your SEO team providing regular communication and updates on their strategy and progress?
    • Is the SEO strategy flexible and able to adapt to changes in the industry and market?

    Conclusion

    These are just a few of the things we ask ourselves when implementing SEO for a client. If you have questions or would like to see how we can help you, get in touch with us.

    Contact us

    Call Us

    774-269-0123

    Email Us

    info@webworthy.co